Victorian pokie venues spent $184m of profits on themselves last year for ‘community benefit’

Loophole offers tax cut to clubs that reinvest gambling revenue into community initiatives, which can include renovations and operating costs

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Poker machines venues in Victoria spent $184m of gambling profits on themselves last financial year, justifying it as a “community benefit” to get a tax cut.

The same clubs only spent $23,000 of gambling losses on harm reduction measures – designed to protect those who funded their venue upgrades – beyond what was required by law.

The figures, contained in the state gaming regulator’s annual report, are the latest example of a legal tax minimisation scheme that has enraged some councils, public health experts, social service groups and anti-gambling advocates.

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